Method of transporting petroleum products



J H. A. scHARPr-:NBERG METHOD OF TRANSPORTING PETROLEUM PRODUCTS June 10,

Filed Jan. 24, 1927' n. 0 d n w m Patented June .10, 1930 UNITED STATI-:s

HENRY A. SGHABPENBERG, F .'BKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA METHOD 0F TRANSPORTING PETROLEUM PRODUCTS Application 1ed January 24, 1927. Serial No. 163,306.

reduce the viscosity of the petroleum, so that it can :be transported with less expenditure of power for pumping than is ordinarily necessary. A second `object is to transport the more volatile and gaseous constituents of the `110 crude petroleum along with the heavier oil to the refinery, so that all refining and separating operations can be carried on at one place. A third object is to prevent waste of the gaseous constituents. Still another ob ject is to prevent the clogging of the pipe line by the deposition on its interior surface of solid products, such as paraffin, as frequently happens inthe transportation of certain oils.

. These and other objects and advantages of the Y,invention willl be explained more fully in the following specification, which should be read with Athe understanding that the `several steps of the process may be varied, within the limits of the claims hereto appended,

without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in said claims.

The invention consists, broadly, in mixing a hydrocarbon gas preferably natural gas .of a methane type with oil taken from wells,

under suitable pressure, and in pumping the 4whole mixture through a pipe line to a disliquefaction of the gas, but in any case, the

` Y resultsare that all the gas whether absorbent in part or in `whole is carried withoutwaste through the pipe line with the oil, and that `the viscosity and surface tension ofthe mix ture are materially less than in the case of `oil alone, thereby requiring less power for transportation. The gas is preferably that whichcomes from the well itself or which separates from the oil as the latter is taken roil in any suitable manner, as for example *by compressing it,=to a sultable pressure, `and farate gas line.

introducing it into `a mixing chamber into which the oil is also pumped at the same pressure. From the mixing chamber, the mixed oil and gas, still maintained at the pressure existing in said chamber, flows into andthrough the pipe line.

It is customary, and practically necessary, to store the oil as it comes from the wells in tanks or reservoirs located in the field in the vicinity of the wells. The gas which naturally separates out when the oil is brought to the surface is either wasted, or, in case the field `is located sufiiciently near a center of dense population to warrant the expense, is conducted through `a separate gas pipe line to such center and there sold as fuel. Such gas is usually first processed, at the field, to recover from itthe gasoline or other byproducts, and to render it suitable for use to the refinery, and there separating the gas out again, I eliminate the necessity for a sep- Moreover, the by-product recovery plant can be located at the refinery,

`instead of in the field, the lay-products hav ing been carried along with the gas and oil. In short, all the natural constituents of the `crude petroleum `are transported to the refinery through a single pipe line. Since the refinery 1s usually located near a center of population, there 1s a much broader market there for the gas than exists at the field.

The pressure necessary to mix the gas properly with the oil may vary with the character of the oil and the character and proportion `of gas mixed with it. Such pressure must be Afairly high, however, possibly in the vicinity of 1000 pounds per square inch. The gas,

.aftercompressioin,may be put through a suit- 4able cooling effect before being introduced into the mixing chamber. Any liquid con- `densate `which condenses in such cooling eftect maybe mixed separately with the oil, or may be pumped into the same chamber in 'which the eiland gas are mixed.

At the high pressure existing in the `mixing chamber, the gas will occupy very little volume, and will almost wholly be absorbed by the oil. It may even be in liquid phase itself. The result of such absorption, however, is materially to lower the viscosity and surface tension of the oil, so that a material saving is effected in the power necessary to transport it through the pipe line. Another result is that any material, such for example as paraffin, which would otherwise tend to solidify on the walls of the pipe, will be carried along in solution, thus preventing clogging or partial obstruction of the line.v

lf the distance between the field and the final destination be too great to permit the successful transportationV of the mixed oil and gas by its initial pumping, it may be led through one or more intermediate pumping and 're-mixing stations. At each suchl station the mixed oill and gas, coming from the preceding pipe line stage, is led into a suitable receiver', in which a predeterminedminimum pressure is maintained. This pressure,rwhich is determined by the nature of the oil and gas,

may be about 45 pounds, for example. The oil and'gas from the receiver or so much of the gas as may not be'talen for fuel' for pumping to the next station are then separately pumped into a mixing chamber,ex'actly as inthe first instance, under a pressure sufficient to cause the gas to be absorbed again in whole or in part and to remain so throughont the subsequent stage of transportation, and the re-mixed oil and Agas are allowed to flow from said re-mixing chamber into the pipe line for further transportation.

l/Vhen the mixture of oil and gas finally reaches its destination at the refinery, the gas is separated out in any well known manner, and passed through an absorption plant or otherwise treated to recover its by-products and malre itsuitable for use as fuel. 1t may then be used in the refinery as fuel, or sold to the surrounding communities for the same purpose. The by-products from vthe gas, being obtained directly-at the refinery,can be sold or blended with other refinery products at a minimum cost.

Thus savings are effected not only in the cost of transportation, one pipe line servingy to carry all the products of the wells to the refinery, and with an expenditure of power less than ordinarily necessary to transport the Voil alone, on account of the reduced viscosity and surface tension resulting from the mixing of gas and oil, but also in the subsequent handling of the gas and its byproducts, the gas being delivered in the vicinity of densely populated regions where it can be sold advantageously, and the vbyproducts, principally gasoline, being recovered at the refinery where they can be used or sold at a minimum expense.

It is to be noted that the gas which is mixed with the oil is that which comes from the wells themselves. The resultant mixture therefore approximates in condition the natural crude oil as it exists in the earth, the artificial pressure under which the mixture is effected and maintained being roughly comparable to the natural pressure in the oil bearing structure. The gas may be obtained, of course, both from. the oil producing wells b-yy means of the usual gas traps,and from gas wells in the'same or near-by fields.

rthe accompanying drawing shows diagrammaticallya suitable apparatus in which my method may be carried out.'

At the initial station indicated by the dotted inclosure is the field gas supply line 1 which leads through a gas compressor 2 to a cooler 3. i is the field oil-supply line, which leads through an oil pump 5 to a mixing chamber 6. l y

F rom the-cooler 3 the gas and the coninto which the main line 9 leads. From this receiver the gas passes out Vthrougha compresser 11 to a gas cooler 12, while the oil passes out through a pump 13 to a mixing chamber 14, into which the gas and the condensate also enter through the pipes 15 and 16, respectively. Y

From the mixing chamber 14 the main line 17 extends to the refinery station indicated by the dotted inclosure. The main line enters a gas-trap and receiver 18 from which the gas passes off through line 19 to a byproduct recovery element 20, which yields fuel lgas at 21 and by-products at 22. The oil from the receiver 18`passes through line 23 to the refinery 24. Y

1 claim Y Y.

1. The method of transporting petroleum products which consists in separately receiving gas and oil taken from oil bearing earth structures, subjecting the gas, outside the presence of the oil, to compressionand cooling to liquefy such portion as may be condensable, mixing, under pressure, the oil, the gas condensate and the uncondensable gas, and transporting'the mixture through a pipe line.

2. rlhe method of transporting petroleum products which consists in separately yreceiving gas and oil taken from oil bearing' earth structures; subjecting the gas, outsideA the presence of the oil, to compression andcooling to liquefy such portion as maybe condensable; mixing, under pressure, the oil, the gas condensate, and the incondensable gas; transporting the mixture lthrough a pipe line to an intermediate destination i receiving said mixture under reduced pressure at said inf--no termediate station; again subjecting the gas, liberated under said reduced pressure, to compression and cooling to iiquefy such portion as may be condensable; again mixing, under pressure, the oil, the gas condensate and the incondensable gas; again transporting the mixture through a pipe line to a final destination; and separating the gas from the oil at said final destination.

3. The method of transporting petroleum products Which consists in separately receiving gas and oil taken from oil bearing earth structures; subjecting the gas, outside the presence of the oil, to compression and c001- ing to liquefy such portion as may be condensable; mixing, under pressure, the oil, the gas condensate, and the incondensable gas; transporting the mixture through a pipe line to an intermediate destination; receiving said mixture under reduced pressure above atmospheric at said intermediate station; again subjecting the gas, liberated under said reduced pressure, to compression and cooling to liquefy such portion as may be condensable; again mixing, under pressure, the oii,

the gas condensate, and the incondensable gas; again transporting the mixture through apipe line to a final destination; and separating the gas from the oil at said nal destination.

In testimony whereof I have signed my named to this specification.

HENRY A. SCHARPENBERG. 

